Numerous types of storage drawers have been constructed in which labels are placed on the front of the drawer to identify the contents of the drawer. Also, drawers have been constructed of transparent material such as plastic which enables the contents of the drawer to be visible through the clear material. Examples of prior art patents showing such drawers having label attachment means are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,527,515; 3,604,775; 3,716,283; 3,815,800; and 4,231,626. However, none of these prior art devices provide a storage drawer in which the front wall thereof is provided with a window for viewing the contents of the drawer and which also enables a label to be attached to the front of the drawer to further identify the goods contained in the drawer. The drawers shown in the patents referred to above either have a clear front for viewing the contents or a label for identifying the contents by printed indicia on the label and not by a unique combination of both features as that of the present invention.
Industrial cabinets consist of a plurality of storage drawers arranged in a matrix configuration in which a plurality of drawers are placed in vertical and horizontal rows within a main storage cabinet. Each of the drawers is adapted to hold a particular article, part, tool or the like. It is desirable that the contents of each of the individual storage drawers be readily ascertainable by an individual when viewing the front of the cabinet. Heretofore, such drawers usually had a label on the front portion thereof to identify the contents, whereas in other storage cabinets the front walls of the individual drawers are formed of clear plastic enabling the contents to be visible to an individual. However, depending on the type of material and articles stored within the drawer, a total clear plastic front may be unsatisfactory.
It is desirable for an individual to readily see the contents of the drawers in addition to having a label associated therewith which will readily identify the contents of the drawers or certain features thereof. For example, the drawers may contain various sizes of screws, bolts, nails, etc. which are readily visible by an individual. In addition the labels on the drawer fronts could indicate the particular sizes or types of the article therein which sizes and types may not be readily ascertainable by an individual even after visual inspection of its contents.
Due to the stacking and arrangement of these individual storage drawers in a main cabinet, inspection from the top of the drawer is not available nor from the sides or back thereof. Therefore, the need has existed for a storage drawer wherein the contents of the drawer is visible through the front wall in addition to a printed identifying label being mountable on the front wall.
Furthermore, drawers are provided with various types of handles for withdrawing the drawer from a storage compartment. One type being an undercut in the front wall such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,300,887. Again, no one has provided a unique drawer construction providing the visibility and identification of the goods contained therein, which also includes an undercut easily graspable handle arrangement for withdrawing the drawer from a storage compartment.